U.S. patent application number 17/543935 was filed with the patent office on 2022-06-30 for projection apparatus.
The applicant listed for this patent is IVIEW DISPLAYS (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LTD.. Invention is credited to Mingnei Ding, Zhiqiang Gao, Xiaofeng Tang, Steve Yeung, Weizhan Zhu.
Application Number | 20220206378 17/543935 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006028618 |
Filed Date | 2022-06-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220206378 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zhu; Weizhan ; et
al. |
June 30, 2022 |
PROJECTION APPARATUS
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a projection apparatus. The
projection apparatus includes: a light supply device, including an
LED lamp and a collimator fly-eye lens, wherein lamp bodies of the
LED lamp are arrayed and the LED lamp is capable of simultaneously
emitting red, green, and blue light rays, and the collimator
fly-eye lens is capable of collimating the light ray emitted by
each of the lamp bodies; an optical path conversion device,
configured to convert a direction of the light rays emitted by the
light supply device; a DMD device, configured to process the light
rays from the optical path conversion device and feed the processed
light rays to the optical path conversion device; and a projection
lens device; wherein the light rays transmitted by the optical path
conversion device to the projection lens device to achieve image
projection.
Inventors: |
Zhu; Weizhan; (Shenzhen,
CN) ; Tang; Xiaofeng; (Shenzhen, CN) ; Ding;
Mingnei; (Shenzhen, CN) ; Yeung; Steve; (Hong
Kong, CN) ; Gao; Zhiqiang; (Hong Kong, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
IVIEW DISPLAYS (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LTD. |
Shenzhen |
|
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006028618 |
Appl. No.: |
17/543935 |
Filed: |
December 7, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
PCT/CN2021/082772 |
Mar 24, 2021 |
|
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17543935 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03B 21/2013 20130101;
G02B 13/16 20130101; G03B 21/2033 20130101; G03B 21/008 20130101;
G03B 21/208 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G03B 21/20 20060101
G03B021/20; G02B 13/16 20060101 G02B013/16; G03B 21/00 20060101
G03B021/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 31, 2020 |
CN |
202011638792.7 |
Claims
1. A projection apparatus, comprising: a light supply device,
comprising an LED lamp and a collimator fly-eye lens, wherein lamp
bodies of the LED lamp are arrayed and the LED lamp is capable of
simultaneously emitting red, green, and blue light rays, and the
collimator fly-eye lens is capable of collimating the light ray
emitted by each of the lamp bodies; an optical path conversion
device, configured to convert a direction of the light rays emitted
by the light supply device; a digital micromirror device (DMD
device), configured to process the light rays from the optical path
conversion device and feed the processed light rays to the optical
path conversion device; and a projection lens device; wherein the
light rays emitted from the light supply device are irradiated to
the DMD device via the optical path conversion device, and
processed by the DMD device, and the processed light rays are
transmitted by the DMD device to the optical path conversion device
and transmitted by the optical path conversion device to the
projection lens device to achieve image projection.
2. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the LED
lamp comprises a plurality of Mini LEDs or a plurality of Micro
LEDs that are arrayed.
3. The projection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the
optical path conversion device further comprises a convergent lens
and a converter lens, wherein the convergent lens is arranged
between the collimator fly-eye lens and the converter lens.
4. The projection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the
converter lens is a triangular prism with a first surface and a
second surface, wherein the first surface is parallel to the DMD
device, and a normal of the second surface of the converter lens is
coincident with a central axial line of the projection lens device,
wherein the first surface is perpendicular to the normal of the
second surface.
5. The projection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the light
supply device further comprises a relay lens, wherein the relay
lens is arranged between the collimator fly-eye lens and the
convergent lens, and a central axis of the relay lens is coincident
with a central axis of the collimator fly-eye lens.
6. The projection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the power
supply device further comprises a light-homogenizing fly-eye lens,
wherein the light-homogenizing fly-eye lens is arranged between the
collimator fly-eye lens and the relay lens.
7. The projection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a side
from which the light ray exits from the convergent lens and a side
on which an oblique edge of the converter lens is positioned are
arranged to form an angle therebetween.
8. The projection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the
projection lens device comprises a first teleconverter module and a
second teleconverter module, wherein the first teleconverter module
is configured to receive the light ray from the converter lens and
transmit the light ray to the second teleconverter module.
9. The projection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first
teleconverter module comprises a first lens, a second lens, a third
lens, and a fourth lens, wherein the first lens, the second lens,
the third lens, and the fourth lens are successively arranged and
central axes of the first lens, the second lens, the third lens,
and the fourth lens are coincident; wherein the first lens, the
second lens, and the fourth lens are convex lenses, and the third
lens is a concave lens.
10. The projection apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the
second teleconverter module comprises a fifth lens, a sixth lens,
and a projection lens, wherein the fifth lens, the sixth lens, and
the projection lens are successively arranged and central axes of
the fifth lens, the sixth lens, and the projection lens are
coincident.
Description
[0001] This application is based upon and claims priority to
Chinese Patent Application No. 2020116387927, filed before China
National Intellectual Property Administration on Dec. 31, 2020 and
entitled "PROJECTION APPARATUS," the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the
technical field of optical projection, and in particular, relate to
a projection apparatus.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In recent years, due to the development and application of
various handheld electronic devices, projection display devices are
being designed to miniaturization and high quality in projection
technologies. With advancements of LED light sources and the
digital light processing (DLP) technology, DLP micro projectors
have been developed rapidly and become popular projection displays.
In 1987, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) invented digital
micromirror device (DMD devices), such that the DLP technology was
applied in the worldwide, which promoted the rise of the DLP micro
projectors. The DMD device is a digital optical switch with binary
pulse width modulation, and is the most complex optical switch
device in the world. Thousands of micro square lenses are built on
a chain structure over a static random-access memory (SRAM) to form
the DMD device. Each lens is capable of switching on or off light
of one pixel. The chain structure allows the lens to tilt between
two states. The lens is "turned on" by a tilt angle+10 degrees. The
lens is "turned off" by a tilt angle of -10 degrees, and the lens
is in a "docked" state at 0 degrees.
[0004] During the practice of the present disclosure, the inventors
have found that: An illumination optical system of a conventional
DLP micro projector needs to be provided with a plurality of light
sources and each of the light sources needs to be equipped with a
collimator module. In this way, the structure of the conventional
DLP micro projector is complex and thus the micro projector is
bulky. Where the DLP micro projector needs to be widely used, the
size and weight of the projection apparatus need to be reduced to
ensure that the projection apparatus has high projection quality
and is more portable.
SUMMARY
[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to
provide a projection apparatus, such that a size of the projection
apparatus is reduced.
[0006] To solve the above technical problem, one technical solution
employed by the embodiments of the present disclosure is a
projection apparatus. The projection apparatus includes:
[0007] a light supply device, including an LED lamp and a
collimator fly-eye lens, wherein lamp bodies of the LED lamp are
arrayed and the LED lamp is capable of simultaneously emitting red,
green, and blue light rays, and the collimator fly-eye lens is
capable of collimating the light ray emitted by each of the lamp
bodies;
[0008] an optical path conversion device, configured to convert a
direction of the light rays emitted by the light supply device;
[0009] a DMD device, configured to process the light rays from the
optical path conversion device and feed the processed light rays to
the optical path conversion device; and
[0010] a projection lens device;
[0011] wherein the light rays emitted from the light supply device
are irradiated to the DMD device via the optical path conversion
device, and processed by the DMD device, and the processed light
rays are transmitted by the DMD device to the optical path
conversion device and transmitted by the optical path conversion
device to the projection lens device to achieve image
projection.
[0012] Optionally, the LED lamp includes a plurality of Mini LEDs
or a plurality of Micro LEDs that are arrayed.
[0013] Optionally, the optical path conversion device further
includes a convergent lens and a converter lens, wherein the
convergent lens is arranged between the collimator fly-eye lens and
the converter lens.
[0014] Optionally, the converter lens is a triangular prism with a
first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is
parallel to the DMD device, and a normal of the second surface of
the converter lens is coincident with a central axial line of the
projection lens device, wherein the first surface is perpendicular
to the normal of the second surface.
[0015] Optionally, the light supply device further includes a relay
lens, wherein the relay lens is arranged between the collimator
fly-eye lens and the convergent lens, and a central axis of the
relay lens is coincident with a central axis of the collimator
fly-eye lens.
[0016] Optionally, the light supply device further includes a
light-homogenizing fly-eye lens, wherein the light-homogenizing
fly-eye lens is arranged between the collimator fly-eye lens and
the relay lens.
[0017] Optionally, a side from which the light ray exits from the
convergent lens and a side on which an oblique edge of the
converter lens is positioned are arranged to form an angle
therebetween.
[0018] Optionally, the projection lens device includes a first
teleconverter module and a second teleconverter module, wherein the
first teleconverter module is configured to receive the light ray
from the converter lens and transmit the light ray to the second
teleconverter module.
[0019] Optionally, the first teleconverter module includes a first
lens, a second lens, a third lens, and a fourth lens, wherein the
first lens, the second lens, the third lens, and the fourth lens
are successively arranged and central axes of the first lens, the
second lens, the third lens, and the fourth lens are
coincident;
[0020] wherein the first lens, the second lens, and the fourth lens
are convex lenses, and the third lens is a concave lens.
[0021] Optionally, the second teleconverter module includes a fifth
lens, a sixth lens, and a projection lens, wherein the fifth lens,
the sixth lens, and the projection lens are successively arranged
and central axes of the fifth lens, the sixth lens, and the
projection lens are coincident.
[0022] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, with
configuration of the LED lamp capable of simultaneously emitting
red, green, and blue light rays, and the collimator fly-eye lens,
the light ray emitted by each of the lens bodies of the LED lamp
are collimated by the collimator fly-eye lens, such that the volume
of the light supply device is reduced, and the effects of further
reducing the size and weight of the projection apparatus are
achieved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example,
and not by limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings,
wherein components having the same reference numeral designations
represent like components throughout. The drawings are not to
scale, unless otherwise disclosed.
[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic overall view of a projection apparatus
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a light supply device of the
projection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an optical path conversion
device of the projection apparatus according to an embodiment of
the present disclosure; and
[0027] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a projection lens device of
the projection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] For better understanding of the present disclosure, the
present disclosure is described in detail with reference to
attached drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted
that, when an element is defined as "being secured or fixed to"
another element, the element may be directly positioned on the
element or one or more centered elements may be present
therebetween. When an element is defined as "being connected or
coupled to" another element, the element may be directly connected
or coupled to the element or one or more centered elements may be
present therebetween. As used herein, the terms "vertical,"
"horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions are for
illustration purposes.
[0029] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout
the specification and the claims, technical and scientific terms
used herein denote the meaning as commonly understood by a person
skilled in the art. Additionally, the terms used in the
specification of the present disclosure are merely for describing
the objectives of the specific embodiments, and are not intended to
limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the term "and/or" in
reference to a list of one or more items covers all of the
following interpretations of the term: any of the items in the
list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items
in the list.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, a projection apparatus 1 includes a
power supply device 10, an optical path conversion device 20, a DMD
device 30, and a projection lens device 40. The light supply device
10 is configured to supply a light source. The optical path
conversion device 20 is arranged between the light supply device 10
and the DMD device 30. The projection apparatus 1 is configured to
project light rays processed by the DMD device 30. The light rays
emitted from the light supply device 10 are irradiated to the
optical path conversion device 20, and the optical path conversion
device 20 transmits the light rays to the DMD device 30. The DMD
device 30 receives the light rays from the optical path conversion
device 20 and processes the light rays, and then the DMD device 30
transmits the processed light rays to the optical path conversion
device 20. The optical path conversion device 20 transmits the
light rays processed by DMD device 30 to the projection lens device
40. The projection lens device 40 performs projection imaging for
the light rays processed by the DMD device 30.
[0031] With respect to the light supply device 10, referring to
FIG. 2, the light supply device 10 includes an LED lamp 101, a
collimator fly-eye lens 102, a relay lens 104, and a
light-homogenizing fly-eye lens 103. The LED lamp 101, the
collimator fly-eye lens 102, and the relay lens 104 are
successively arranged, and the light-homogenizing fly-eye lens 103
is arranged between the collimator fly-eye lens 102 and the relay
lens 104, wherein a central axis of the collimator fly-eye lens 102
is coincident with a central axis of the relay lens 104.
[0032] Specifically, the LED lamp 101 includes a plurality of Mini
LEDs that are arrayed. The light ray emitted by one of the Mini
LEDs is red light, green light, or blue light. The collimator
fly-eye lens 102 is capable of collimating the light ray emitted by
each of the Mini LEDs. The light rays collimated by the collimator
fly-eye lens 102 are irradiated to the light-homogenizing fly-eye
lens 103. The light-homogenizing fly-eye lens 103 light-homogenizes
the light rays passing through the light-homogenizing fly-eye lens
103, such that the light rays passing through the
light-homogenizing fly-eye lens 103 may achieve energy uniformity,
and thus the quality of the light rays in response to exiting from
the light-homogenizing fly-eye lens 103 is improved. The principle
of the light-homogenizing fly-eye lens 103 is as follows: The
light-homogenizing fly-eye lens 103 is composed of two rows of
fly-eye lenses, and the light rays parallel to the optical axis
pass through the first lens and are focused on the center of the
second lens. Each small lens of the second row of fly-eye lenses
overlaps and integrates the light rays emitted from the small lens
corresponding to the first row of the fly-eye lenses. The first row
of fly-eye lenses divides an entire wide light ray of the light
source into a plurality of thin light rays, and non-uniformity of a
vertical axis is present in the extent of each of the thin light
rays. Since the thin light rays at symmetrical positions are
superimposed, the non-uniformity of the vertical axes of the thin
light rays may be compensated, and thus the light energy in an
entire aperture is uniform. It should be noted that the Mini LED
used in the embodiment of the present disclosure is composed of
pixel particles with a size of 0.5 mm to 1.2 mm, and the collimator
fly-eye lens 102 collimates each of the pixel particles. The LED
lamp 101 is capable of simultaneously emitting red, green, and blue
light rays, and when the red, green, and blue light rays emitted
from the LED lamp 101 are collimated by the collimator fly-eye lens
102, the collimated light rays reach the DMD device 30 via the
optical path conversion device 20. In this way, the conventional
separate three primary color light sources and three sets of
collimator mechanisms corresponding thereto are replaced, thereby
reducing the size of the light supply device 10.
[0033] In some embodiments, the LED lamp includes a plurality of
Micro LEDs that are arrayed, wherein the plurality of Micro LEDs
are composed of pixel particles with a size of 0.05 mm or even
smaller.
[0034] In some embodiments, the light supply device 10 may also be
provided with no light-homogenizing fly-eye lens 103, and the light
rays emitted by the LED lamp 101 may be collimated by the
collimator fly-eye lens 102 and then reach the DMD device 30 via
the optical path conversion device 20.
[0035] With respect to the optical path conversion device 20,
referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the optical path conversion device
20 includes a convergent lens 202 and a converter lens 201, wherein
the convergent lens 202 is arranged between the collimator fly-eye
lens 102 and the converter lens 201. Specifically, the converter
lens 201 is a triangular prism, wherein a first surface 2011 of the
converter lens 201 is parallel to the DMD device 30, and a normal
of a second surface 2012 of the converter lens 201 is coincident
with a central axial line of the projection lens device 40. The
first surface 2011 is perpendicular to the normal of the second
surface 2012. A third surface 2013 is connected to the first
surface 2011 and the second surface 2012, wherein an end surface of
the third surface 2013 facing the convergent lens 202 is a
transmissive surface, and a surface of the third surface 2013
facing away from the convergent lens 202 is a reflective surface.
The convergent lens 202 converges the light rays emitted from the
light supply device 10, and the converged light rays are incident
to the converter lens 201 through the third surface 2013. The
converter lens 201 refracts the incident light rays and finally the
light rays reach the DMD device 30. The DMD device 30 processes the
light rays refracted by the converter lens 201, and the processed
light rays are incident to the converter lens 201 from the first
surface 2011. The light rays processed by the DMD device 30 enter
from the first surface 2011, reach the reflective surface of the
third surface 2013 of the converter lens 201, are reflected by the
reflective surface, and finally exit from the converter lens 201
through the second surface 2012. It should be noted that by
observing the principle of total reflection of light, the converter
lens 201 reflects the light rays transmitted from the first surface
2011 to the reflective surface of the third surface 2013 out of the
second surface 2012.
[0036] In addition, a side from which the light ray exits from the
convergent lens 202 and a side on which an oblique edge of the
converter lens 202 is positioned are arranged to form an angle
therebetween, that is, the side from which the light ray exits from
the convergent lens 202 and the third surface 2013 are arranged to
form an angle therebetween. As a result, in response to being
converged by the convergent lens 202, the light rays emitted from
the light supply device 10 are all incident to a limited range of
the DMD device 30 through the refraction of the converter lens
201.
[0037] Further, the light supply device 10 further includes a relay
lens 104, wherein the relay lens 104 is arranged between the
collimator fly-eye lens 102 and the convergent lens 202, and a
central axis of the relay lens 104 is coincident with a central
axis of the collimator fly-eye lens 103. The relay lens 104 and the
convergent lens 202 effect together to extend the light rays
passing through the relay lens 104 and the convergent lens 202,
thereby enhancing the quality of the light rays emitted from the
LED lamp 101.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, with respect to the
projection lens device 40, the projection lens device 40 includes a
first teleconverter module 401 and a second teleconverter module
402, wherein the first teleconverter module 401 is configured to
receive the light rays from the converter lens 201 and transmit the
light rays to the second teleconverter module 402. The first
teleconverter module 401 includes a first lens 4011, a second lens
4012, a third lens 4013, and a fourth lens 4014, wherein the first
lens 4011, the second lens 4012, the third lens 4013, and the
fourth lens 4014 are successively arranged and central axes of the
first lens 4011, the second lens 4012, the third lens 4013, and the
fourth lens 4014 are coincident. The first lens 4011, the second
lens 4012, and the fourth lens 4014 are convex lenses, and the
third lens 4013 is a concave lens. The second teleconverter module
402 includes a fifth lens 4021, a sixth lens 4022, and a projection
lens 4023, wherein the fifth lens 4021, the sixth lens 4022, and
the projection lens 4023 are successively arranged and central axes
of the fifth lens 4021, the sixth lens 4022, and the projection
lens 4023 are coincident. The light rays processed by the DMD
device 30 are reflected by the converter lens 201 to first
teleconverter module 401, such that the image is extended for one
time. In the case that the light rays emitted from the first
teleconverter module 401 are incident to the second teleconverter
module 402, the image is extended for another time, and the image
is output. In this way, the length of the entire projection lens
device 40 is reduced.
[0039] In some embodiments, the lenses in the first teleconverter
module 401 and the second teleconverter module 402 are both plastic
lenses, and are prepared by an injection molding process. As a
result, the weight of the projection lens device 40 may be reduced,
and an overall weight of the projection apparatus 1 is reduced and
the portability of the projection apparatus 1 is improved.
[0040] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, with
configuration of the LED lamp 101 capable of simultaneously
emitting red, green, and blue light rays, and the collimator
fly-eye lens 102, the light ray emitted by each of the lens bodies
of the LED lamp 101 is collimated by the collimator fly-eye lens
102, such that the volume of the light supply device 10 is reduced,
and the effects of further reducing the size and weight of the
projection apparatus 1 are achieved.
[0041] It should be noted that the specification and drawings of
the present disclosure illustrate preferred embodiments of the
present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be
implemented in different manners, and is not limited to the
embodiments described in the specification. The embodiments
described are not intended to limit the present disclosure, but are
directed to rendering a thorough and comprehensive understanding of
the disclosure of the present disclosure. In addition, the above
described technical features may incorporate and combine with each
other to derive various embodiments not illustrated in the above
specification, and such derived embodiments shall all be deemed as
falling within the scope of the specification of the present
disclosure. Further, a person skilled in the art may make
improvements or variations according to the above description, and
such improvements or variations shall all fall within the
protection scope as defined by the claims of the present
disclosure.
* * * * *